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Nairobi

[nahy-roh-bee]
noun
  1. a city in and the capital of Kenya, in the SW part.
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Kenya

[ken-yuh, keen-]
noun
  1. a republic in E Africa: member of the Commonwealth of Nations; formerly a British crown colony and protectorate. 223,478 sq. mi. (578,808 sq. km). Capital: Nairobi.
  2. Mount, an extinct volcano in central Kenya. 17,040 feet (5194 meters).
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Related formsKen·yan, adjective, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for nairobi

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • If he is a sportsman, the outfitters in Nairobi will know who he is.

    In Africa

    John T. McCutcheon

  • We were still in sight of the distant house-tops of Nairobi.

    In Africa

    John T. McCutcheon

  • Quinine and calomel are essentials and may be bought in Nairobi.

    In Africa

    John T. McCutcheon

  • They will have the whole outfit ready for you by the time you arrive in Nairobi.

    In Africa

    John T. McCutcheon

  • There is no denying the fact that there is considerable drinking in Nairobi.

    In Africa

    John T. McCutcheon

British Dictionary definitions for nairobi

Nairobi

noun
  1. the capital of Kenya, in the southwest, at an altitude of 1650 m (5500 ft): founded in 1899; became capital in 1905; commercial and industrial centre; the Nairobi National Park (a game reserve) is nearby. Pop: 2 818 000 (2005 est)
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Kenya

noun
  1. a republic in E Africa, on the Indian Ocean: became a British protectorate in 1895 and a colony in 1920; gained independence in 1963 and is a member of the Commonwealth. Tea and coffee constitute about a third of the total exports. Official languages: Swahili and English. Religions: Christian majority, animist minority. Currency: shilling. Capital: Nairobi. Pop: 44 037 656 (2013 est). Area: 582 647 sq km (224 960 sq miles)
  2. Mount Kenya an extinct volcano in central Kenya: the second highest mountain in Africa; girth at 2400 m (8000 ft) is about 150 km (95 miles). The regions above 3200 m (10 500 ft) constitute Mount Kenya National Park . Height: 5199 m (17 058 ft)Local name: Kirinyaga
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for nairobi

Kenya

African nation, named for Mount Kenya, which probably is a shortening of Kikuyu Kirinyaga, from kere nyaga, literally "white mountain" (it is snowcapped). Related: Kenyan.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
nairobi in Culture

Nairobi

[(neye-roh-bee)]

Capital of Kenya and largest city in the country, located in southern Kenya.

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Note

It was the capital of British East Africa — Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika, and Zanzibar (see Tanzania) — from 1905 until the colonies became independent in the early 1960s.

Note

Nairobi is a center for tourist safaris.

Kenya

[(ken-yuh, keen-yuh)]

Republic in eastern Africa bordered by Sudan and Ethiopia to the north, Somalia to the east, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, Tanzania to the southwest, and Uganda to the west. Its capital and largest city is Nairobi.

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Note

The Great Rift Valley in Kenya is the site of some major archaeological discoveries, including remains of the earliest known humans.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.